50-MW Geothermal Plant for Mexico

September 20th, 2012 by Jake Richardson

A 50-MW geothermal power plant will be built in the Mexican region of Michoacan for Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd from Japan. It should be completed by December 2014. When finished, it will be the twelfth geothermal plant constructed by Mitsubishi for Mexico.

Mexico is currently in the top 5 geothermal power nations, with well over 900 MW of geothermal power capacity. It installed the first geothermal power plant in the Western hemisphere in 1959. One advantage geothermal has over solar and wind is that it is not intermittent.

Renewable clean energy development can help local economies free themselves from having to pay the costs for imported fossil fuels, and geothermal energy is a useful part of that.

Michoacan has a population of over four million and the main industries are agriculture, commerce, manufacturing and mining.

Image Credit: Thelmadatter, Wiki Commons